Significant improvement in reading, writing and basic numeracy skills of more than 97,000 children has been recorded under the ILM Pact program in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while the provincial government has expressed its determination to make the successful model of the program a part of the government education system.
Significant improvement in literacy skills of children in KP recorded under ILM Pact program
PESHAWAR, Aug 07 (APP): Significant improvement in reading, writing and basic numeracy skills of more than 97,000 children has been recorded under the ILM Pact program in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while the provincial government has expressed its determination to make the successful model of the program a part of the government education system.
The results of the program were presented during an event held in Peshawar titled “ILM Pact Spotlight: Promoting Basic Literacy and Numeracy Skills for Every Child of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa”.
The event was jointly organized by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and the Elementary and Secondary Education Department (E&SED).
According to officials, a total of 97,413 children directly benefited from the program. The program was implemented in 320 government schools in eight districts of the province, Battagram, Buner, Charsadda, Dera Ismail Khan, Mansehra, Peshawar, Shangla and Swabi, including 200 girls’ primary schools and 120 middle and high schools.
According to data, in less than a year, there was a 79 percent increase in the number of children able to read a story in Urdu, a 52 percent increase in the number of children able to read sentences in English, and a 64 percent increase in the number of children able to solve subtraction (negative) problems in mathematics.
Officials said that each student was provided with about 140 hours of additional teaching support, which was given under the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) teaching method.
In this method, children are divided into groups according to their academic ability and needs, rather than age or grade, so that teachers can effectively address gaps in literacy and numeracy skills.
Speaking at the event, Qaiser Alam, Managing Director Elementary and Secondary Education Foundation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said that the program has proven that timely and targeted teaching support can make a significant difference in lives of children who are academically backward.
“We have seen with our own eyes how the right strategy and appropriate teaching support can improve the academic performance of children who are academically backward.
The ILM packet has provided us with an effective model that will be scaled up in government schools in the province so that no child in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is deprived of the basic skills of reading, writing and counting,” he said.
A panel discussion was also held during the event, which discussed topics such as basic education, evidence-based teaching strategies, educational remediation, inclusion and child protection. Participants also discussed the possibilities of expanding the scope of the program to the entire province.
The provincial government acknowledged the role of the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the British Council, partner institutions, teachers and students in the success of the program and reiterated its commitment to promoting basic literacy and numeracy skills.
